If you're looking for photo essay ideas, consider:
Irene is a professional west coast based rock climbing and adventure photographer. She started rock climbing out of pure joy, picked up a camera soon after, and continues that journey on her instagram @ladylockoff. Her focus is to uplift women, BIPOC, and the LGBTQIA2S+ communities; choosing to highlight those pushing their own personal limits and finding inspiration in those with passion over muscle. She is internationally published, a @natgeoadventure contributor, and works with today's largest outdoor brands and non-profits.
Depending on your theme, there are a few types of photos you’ll want to use to anchor your essay. One or two lead photos should slowly introduce the viewer to your topic. These initial photos will function in a similar way to the introductory paragraph in a written essay or news article. From there, you should consider further developing your narrative by introducing elements like portraiture, close ups, detail shots, and a carefully selected final photo to leave the viewer with the feeling you set out to produce in your photos. Consider your opening and closing images to be the most important elements of your photo essay, and choose them accordingly. You want your first images to hook the viewer, and you also want your final images to leave a lasting impression and perhaps offer a conclusion to the narrative you’ve developed. Irene is a professional west coast based rock climbing and adventure photographer. She started rock climbing out of pure joy, picked up a camera soon after, and continues that journey on her instagram @ladylockoff. Her focus is to uplift women, BIPOC, and the LGBTQIA2S+ communities; choosing to highlight those pushing their own personal limits and finding inspiration in those with passion over muscle. She is internationally published, a @natgeoadventure contributor, and works with today's largest outdoor brands and non-profits. Including different types of photos, shot at different ranges, angles, and perspectives, can help engage your viewer and add more texture to your series. While subjects and their interest factor are, well, subjective, when considering your subjects, you should ask yourself about your audience. Do other people want to see this? Is my subject representative of the larger idea my photo essay is trying to convey? Your projects can involve people you know or people you’ve only just met. From Taylor Dorrell’s photo essay : “White Fences is an ongoing photo series that explores the theme of suburban youth in the United States, specifically in the midwest suburb New Albany, Ohio.”
Or, finally, the photo essay on Slime makes clear in its
The most natural method for choosing a topic or theme for your photo essay is to go with what you know. Photograph what you experience. Whether that includes people, objects, or the things you think about throughout the day, accessibility is key here. Common topics or concepts to start with are emotions (depicting sadness or happiness) or experiences (everyday life, city living).
Eugene Smith’s Landmark Photo Essay
“The most important part for me is getting outside opinions. I don’t do that enough, and have a bias in selecting images that might not be the most powerful images or the most effective sequence of images,” says Dorrell. Your own perception of a photograph can cloud your ability to judge whether or not it adds to your photo essay. This is especially true when your essay deals with personal subjects. For example, a photo essay about your family may be hard to evaluate, as your own feelings about family members will impact how you take and view the photos. This is where getting feedback from peers can be invaluable to producing a strong series.
From Taylor Dorrell’s photo essay , featured in Vice.
Collecting feedback while putting your photo essay together can help you determine the strengths, weaknesses, and gaps within the collection of photos you’ve produced. Ask your friends to tell you their favorites, why they like them, and what they think you’re going for in the work you’ve created. Their opinions can be your guide, not just your own emotions.
Cover image by Taylor Dorrell, from his photo essay .
Beyond post-production, the series of photos you select as your essay will determine whether you’ve executed your theme or narrative effectively. Can the photos stand alone, without written words, and tell the story you set out to? Do they make sense together, in a logical sequence? The perfect photo essay will give your audience a full picture of the narrative, theme, or essence you’re looking to capture.
There are three general types of photo stories.
There are two types of photo essays: the narrative and the thematic. Narrative photo essays focus on a story you’re telling the viewer, while thematic photo essays speak to a specific subject.